Bottlenose dolphin gives birth at marine park
A bottlenose dolphin, Onda, has given birth to a male calf at Mediterraneo Marine Park in Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq.
Marineland Ltd, the company that runs the park, said the birth two weeks ago formed part of a “species propagation programme” planned in Malta for some time.
Veterinary surgeons, trainers, biologists, voluntary workers and staff at the park had all been anxiously watching Onda through her gestation period, to ensure nothing went wrong with her or her calf.
Following the birth, the monitoring became even more intensive, because there are numerous ways a dolphin calf can come to harm in the hours, days and weeks after it comes into the world. In fact, the likelihood a calf will not have any complications after being born is less than 60 per cent during the first few days of its life.
The first thing Onda had to do was to keep the 13 kilo, one-metre-long calf underwater for his lungs to expand when it was taking its first breaths. Shortly after, she had to feed him with his first milk, called colostrum, which contained antibodies to protect him from fatal infections.
Onda will be nursing the calf for up to two years. During the first few days after he was born she was eating about 20 kilograms of fish a day compared to her usual seven to eight kilograms due to the energy she was using up caring for him.
The calf was fathered by Lucas, a 12-year-old bottlenose dolphin, who like Onda was brought to Mediterraneo from Cuba.
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Fabio Ciappara
Aug 4th 2010, 14:33
" Bottlenose dolphin gives birth in captivity " " Slave gives birth on a plantation "
HOW VERY SAD.
Erin Ciantar
Aug 3rd 2010, 16:20
What a sad story. A baby dolphin destined to be imprisoned all its life.
Steven Grech
Aug 3rd 2010, 14:53
Another dolphin destined to entrapment in a marine park...how sad! and No! I'm no hardcore environmentalist but someone who has enjoyed swimming with and seeing these mammals in their natural habitat - the sea...where they belong....
Anne Farrugia
Aug 3rd 2010, 12:52
This was absolutely beautiful! Thanks for sharing. I wish to propose a competition amongst school children for the naming of the calf...I think children should be included...and why not? I really hope that this idea is taken up...after all no harm is being done and the park get to chose which name they prefer!
Franco Farrugia
Aug 3rd 2010, 15:18
You seem to be oblivious of the fact that many schools, in fact, boycott all kinds of entertainment places where live animals are kept for profit. So, I think that your suggestion is a silly one at best.
Joseph Schembri
Aug 3rd 2010, 16:20
@ Anne Farrugia: You probably come from the school of thought taht abuse of any creature as is imprisonmnet of these intelligent mammals is Ok - but you will probably be the first to shout 'ABUSE' should a teacher or an adult strongly reprimand a child for misbehaviour.
Franco Farrugia
Aug 3rd 2010, 22:37
@ Mr Schembri -Wowwwww! Actually there is someone out there who thinks the way I do!
Jesmond Micallef
Aug 3rd 2010, 10:31
What a lovely picture. Mother Onda and her off spring. The picture somehow transmits that fresh crackling sound of water as they swim across the surface together. Any names in the pipeline for this new born ? What about the father Lucas ? Is he separated from them ?
Congratulations and well done to all the staff at the Mediterraneo Marine Park. I'm sure that this new addition within the park's family is pure joy to you all. A milestone indeed.
Franco Farrugia
Aug 3rd 2010, 15:19
Pure joy, certainly, it is, with the free advertising and publicity that this entertainment park with live animals is getting. I think it is myopic of people to congratulate these people for keeping animals in detention, don't you?
Jesmond Micallef
Aug 3rd 2010, 16:34
No I don't as most humans are in detention too. I tend to think that you should be able to understand what I've just said.
I am not against this park here as it brings such animals closer to humans for education. It promotes more environmental awareness but also protection of animals out in the open seas. This park should maybe consider an awareness campaign concerning the disposal of plastic products out at sea and its potential dangers to these animals.
Steven Grech
Aug 3rd 2010, 18:52
Jesmond, If humans want to see these beautiful mammals, they should go out to sea...not in a marine park! The fact is once you see and appreciate these mammals in their natural habitat you will never want to see or hear about them in captivity.
PS. you said that "Most humans are in detention too"? what? you mean the WHOLE world is our park? WOW...i'd love to know which human has ever felt trapped in our little world!! I can assure you...if the Dolphins spoke "human" and had legs they'll leave the marine park and travel the World! At least they'll feel detained in a large enough space to get lost in a broaden their minds...after all they're mammals...
Jesmond Micallef
Aug 3rd 2010, 21:24
Steven, a new born baby dolphin in a marine park is a success to me. I have missed a mare giving birth by just 10 minutes at the Zoo in Nürnberg. I would have loved to have witnessed that. My compliments here are related to a successful birth in captivity. I tend to think that is indeed a rarity considering that the animals are under captivity or a restrained freedom.
My comment regarding us humans is just that. We are detained by our very own system, our social net sort of to say. We also tend to seek our freedom but thats indeed limited. Thats what I meant.
Animals should be left to roam freely but considering that we humans are intrusive of their environment, we need to educate ourselves and our future generations somehow. I do not like watching gorillas look sad locked up in a zoo, or a puma, or a cheetah, or a cougar always tracing their own paths within the confines of a compound.
Maybe you are right, a boat trip would be enough on nice day in summer. I have watched seal colonies in the north coasts of Germany and the Netherlands. Lovely that was.